Salish Trail

I love trail running! I was in Vancouver recently and my running buddy, Alison and I decided that it would be fun to run some of the trails in Pacific Spirit Regional Park near the University of British Columbia campus. I’d run some of these before, starting from NorthWest Marine Drive, but not starting on the south side. We parked the car on Camosun Street at Southwest Marine Drive and ventured into the Park. After studying the large Park Map we chose the Salish Trail from a myriad of trails throughout the park. This particular trail transects the park allowing plenty of opportunity for detours or one very long run from one “corner” of the Park to the other.

Also of note near the large map was a poster with a composite sketch and description of the suspect in a string of recent sexual assaults at the University of British Columbia. This is perhaps why we saw female runners and walkers in pairs along the trail. Safety in numbers, I guess.

The Salish Trail is wide and passes through a lush second growth Douglas Fir forest, as well as borders Ecological Reserve #74, which is an ecologically sensitive area and not open to the public. Our trail was very well signed and well used as are all the Park trails. It is designated a “mulit-use” trail, which means we could potentially see runners, walkers, cyclists, horses and riders and off-leash (but apparently under control) dogs. How wonderful! Although apparently the dogs are only allowed off leash from the beginning of October until the end of February. Oh and by-the-way, commercial dog walkers are not welcomed! Who makes these rules? I sense there is a back story there. We did not see cyclists or horses, but there were plenty of off-leash and well controlled dogs as well as runners and walkers all having a lovely time in the urban wilderness.

Pacific Spirit Regional Park used to be part the University Endowment Lands, but in 1989 the large undeveloped area (763 hectares) was conveyed by the Province of British Columbia in 1989 to the Greater Vancouver Regional District (Metro Vancouver) for the creation of the Park. Its adjacency to the University of British Columbia, Musqueam First Nation lands, and residential areas, such as Southlands (where numerous horse stables can be found), make this a very popular and well used Park.

Our run along the Salish Trail was just over 4k as far as 16th Ave, at which point we turned and ran back the same way we had come, finishing off a wonderful 8+k run. I would definitely do this run again and might even complete the whole length of the Trail to the north side ending at Spanish Banks the next time. There are also so many potential detours off the Salish Trail, that running all the trails in this Park could take years to do, thus providing plenty of excuses to return again and again!